Remarks By President of RI before The 13th General Assembly of VECONAC, 28-04-10

Rabu, 28 April 2010
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REMARKS BY
H.E. DR. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

BEFORE THE 13TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
THE VETERANS CONFEDERATION OF ASEAN COUNTRIES
STATE PALACE, JAKARTA
28 APRIL 2010

Peace be upon us,

 

Lt. Gen. Ret Rais Abin, President of the Veterans Confederation of ASEAN Countries,
Ministers, The Commander of the Indonesian Military, Chief of the Indonesian Police, Chief of the Air Force, Distinguished Delegates, and Members of the Veterans Confederation of ASEAN Countries,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I am glad to see all of you here, and to observe that you are growing in number. It is indeed an honour for Indonesia, to host this 13th VECONAC General Assembly. And I am certainly delighted to see some familiar faces among you.

 

Let me also take this opportunity to commend former VECONAC President, Colonel John Morris of Singapore, for a tenure with significant accomplishments. And I am pleased to congratulate Lieutenant General Ret. Rais Abin, as the new President of the Confederation. You and all the members of the Confederation, have brought honour to the military uniform-even in your retirement.

 

It seems like only yesterday, that I was myself in active military service. One of the saddest events of my life, as you all know too well, was when I had to leave the military to join the Cabinet. I have fond memories of the camaraderie that I enjoyed in the field with my comrades in arms. And that camaraderie is never lost. It is always there.

 

That is why I am confident that the 13th VECONAC General Assembly will enhance the closeness of the veterans in our region, among one another. The wonderful thing is that, as you become closer to one another, you are accomplishing so much. You are making a significant contribution to the cause of peace, and equitable prosperity here in our region, and beyond.

 

You are doing a great deal toward the achievement of the ASEAN Security Community, by enlarging your membership so that it covers the entire ASEAN region. You have just been strengthened with the entry of the Cambodian Veterans Legion, into your Confederation. I look forward to the veterans of Laos and Myanmar joining in with you very soon.

 

All the veterans' legions in our region should join your confederation. That would be very helpful to ASEAN unity and solidarity. It would enhance our overall efforts to achieve the ASEAN Community by 2015. That is why I encourage you to maintain your already strong linkage with the ASEAN Secretariat.

 

For to my mind, one of the most important segments of civil society in any country is the veterans' legion. It is an articulate group that can, at any time, spring into robust and constructive action. If it adopts a worthy cause, you can expect it to be fully committed, and to work with courage, whatever may be the odds.

 

Thus, I am pleased, that during this, General Assembly you have passed three important resolutions: one that called for a solution to the economic crisis so as to eradicate hunger, another that called for a humanitarian approach to the problem of refugees, as has been said by General Rais Abin, and still another that condemned the violation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

 

To tell you the truth, being a veteran myself, I am proud of what you have done. It is the common lot of soldiers in the field that they often suffer the pangs of hunger. So when veterans speak for the eradication of hunger and the poverty that occasions it, they speak with the authority of experience.

 

As veterans, most of you have seen how much suffering can be inflicted on civilian populations in the course of armed conflict, or in the devastation of natural disasters. So when you call for the better treatment of refugees, for the protection of the human rights of an occupied people and, in general, for people to care more for one another, the world has to acknowledge that you know what you are talking about.

 

In fact, you have identified some of the most formidable enemies of humankind today. They include the deprivations that human beings in various places around the world are suffering today. They include the maladies of the human condition: the impact of natural disasters, contagious diseases, poverty, ignorance, prejudice, and ideologies that breed a culture of violence.

 

These are enemies that you cannot kill with weapons. You cannot defeat them in field combat. But you can help eradicate them through your involvement in the building of better societies, and more effective communities. You have technical competencies and organizational skills-and, above all, you have the intellectual discipline to make a large contribution to the causes of national development, regional integration and global peace and harmony.

 

In that sense, your most glorious battles are still ahead of you. And your reward for waging them well is, the best that any soldier can hope for: the gratitude of your fellow human beings.

 

Thus the VECONAC is called upon to promote the values that are relevant to the challenges that human civilization is confronting today. The most important wars we are fighting are no longer military in nature. We must make war against poverty. We must wage war against cultural decay. We must continue to the battle against corruption.

Dear Colleagues,

 

And we live now in a very different time. The fact that veterans from Indonesia and Timor Leste now sit side by side in this room, tell very much about the new world.

 

The 20th century is known as the century of hard power. We had two world wars, and many large, medium, and small wars in between them and after them: inter-state wars, wars for proxy, war for resources, civil wars and others. Some said that it was the bloodiest century ever.

 

The 21st century will be known as the Century of Soft Power. Those who succeed will not be those with the largest gun. It will be those with the capability to adapt in the super fast world of globalization; those inundated with soft skills; those that can compete and constantly reinvent itself. Whether you are big size America, or medium size Indonesia, or small size Singapore, this is going to apply to you.

 

Our region itself is a reflection of how times are changing. Several decades ago, Southeast Asia was in a big mess. The war in Vietnam, The war in Cambodia. The conflict in East Timor, Southeast Asia was divided. Hostility and mistrust were high. Major Powers did not bring peace and unity to our region, and the regional countries were not masters of their destiny.

 

But today we have a different region. Southeast Asia is no longer divided. All are now members of ASEAN - the ASEAN 10. No Southeast Asian country is at war with another. And no major powers are using a country in this region in a proxy war. And with the ASEAN Charter, the region is transforming and marching together towards an ASEAN Community by 2015.

 

The threats too are different. In Indonesia, we no longer face the threat of an external invasion. The threats to our national well-being are mostly internal: corruption, radicalism, mismanagement, ignorance. And the threats are mostly non-conventional: terrorism, people smuggling, communicable diseases, natural disasters.

 

One of the best ways of dealing with the 21st century is to be opportunity driven. I am a firm believer that out of every crisis, there is opportunity. The challenges and the threats we face, present us with new opportunities for cooperation. This is because in this day and age, there are not too many things where we can solve them all alone. Most of the issues that confront us - climate change, energy security, food security, terrorism, and development - all this require to work together in partnership - a partnership for peace.

 

This is why we have to evolve a new geopolitics. What I call new geopolitics of cooperation. Thus I am a strong promoter of the notion of "confluence among civilizations". We are all aware of the theory of clash of civilizations. And indeed, if you look at world history, there is hardly a century in the past during which humanity did not experience some kind of clash between civilizations and cultures.

 

But the 21st century can be different. The prospect of a World War III, I think, is much less diminished and so is, we all hope, the prospect of a nuclear war between states. The civilizations are rising together, and inter-connecting with one another- what is called the process of "fusion" with all its creative effects. Societies are changing. Values such as diversity, tolerance and multilateralism are becoming an international norm, and there is a global conscience emerging. The opportunity for this to become a Century of Confluence of Civilizations are greater than ever.

 

We need to harness all this, for a better future. And I can not think of a better group of people to do this, than the veterans, who have had the distinct honor to serve their country with great patriotism, and who are also thinking even harder about the future of the next generation.

 

Thus, today, you are called upon to instill correct values to the younger generations. You can be a source of inspiration and motivation for young people, so that they can be a hardworking generation, that will not quit in the face of difficulties.

 

As fighters who have experienced the ups and downs of battle, and the tragedies that attended your struggle, you have the obligation to continue fostering peace, brotherhood and harmony among nations. Because of your credibility, you can help prevent tensions between countries by simply speaking out for peace, tolerance and mutual accommodation. You can also help build harmony and solidarity.

 

Thus I am reminded of an old song that says, "Old soldiers never die. They just fade away." That, of course, is not literally true. All of us die sooner or later. But there is something in every true soldier-something in each of you here today-that never dies. And never fades away.

 

And that is an enormous sense of honour and commitment to duty, to the service of one's country and people. It never dies because it is passed on to future generations who are drawn by the power of your example to serve-to serve as selflessly and as courageously as you have done-- whatever may be the odds.

 

These are the basic ingredients of a social discipline, that Indonesia and every country represented here today needs to become the country envisioned by its founders. These are what we need for ASEAN to become the concert of nations called the ASEAN Community. And these are what we need to make a better world for humankind to live in.

And that is why, finally, I am glad to see so many of you here today. For as long as there are veterans-old soldiers-like you, who are true to the soldier's oath of courage, honour and duty, there is always hope for humankind.

I thank you.

 

Wassalaamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

 

 

Biro Naskah dan Penerjemahan,

Deputi Mensesneg Bidang Dukungan Kebijakan,

Sekretariat Negara RI